Buttars: Gays 'greatest threat to America'

This is pathetic. As we all know, part of the LDS defense for its support of Prop 8 was that it wasn't opposed to basic civil rights for gay and lesbian couples, it was just trying to "save marriage." How much do you want to bet that the Mormon Church leaned on state representatives to kill a bill that would eliminate discrimination in housing and employment, hospital visitation, partner medical decisions for a partner, and adoption?

The Legislature dealt a final blow Wednesday to the Common Ground Initiative, possibly the most expansive push for legal protections for gay and transgender Utahns in state history.

A House committee rejected Rep. Jennifer Seelig's HB160, which would have offered two, unmarried cohabiting adults -- including same-sex couples -- rights of inheritance and medical decision making for one another.

But the initiative is not dead, said Mike Thompson, executive director of Equality Utah, the advocacy group leading the charge. Democratic lawmakers have vowed to bring back their bills, with some variations, next year.

To add insult to injury, Utah State Senator Chris Buttars, a homophobe just meant to bed down with Sally Kern to produce Satan's spawn, said this.

Sen. Chris Buttars considers the gay-rights movement -- nationally and in Utah -- "probably the greatest threat to America."

In an interview with documentary filmmaker Reed Cowan, released by ABC 4 on Tuesday night, Buttars said the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community doesn't want "equality, they want superiority."

"It's the beginning of the end. Oh, it's worse than that. Sure. Sodom and Gomorrah was localized. This is worldwide," the West Jordan Republican said in the interview.

For that extra dash of spice, Buttars also compared gay advocates to Muslim terrorists and plans to further detail his views on the Utah Senate web site.

Related:

* Utah: Rhetoric in gay rights debate heating up